30 Minute Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

by Natalie

If you love buffalo wings, you’re going to love these easy and mess-free buffalo chicken meatballs. They’re a whole lot healthier than the traditional appetizer!

My husband LOVES buffalo wings, but they aren’t something we eat very often. For starters, they’re deep fried and we generally stay away from most fried foods (french fries and homemade corn dogs being the main exception ????), but also he’s also pretty particular about them.

These meatballs are a fun and tasty way to enjoy the flavor of buffalo wings without all of the guilt. They make great little party appetizers, meatball subs, or a filling main dish when served with steamed rice.

I shared this recipe over on Facebook last week, and now I’m posting it here. You only need a few simple ingredients and just 30 minutes. Are you ready to get to work?

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a standard size baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, panko breadcrumbs (white or whole wheat) and a lightly beaten egg. Allow the panko to soak in the egg for 5 minutes. Add the finely grated carrot, minced celery, minced green onion, minced garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Using your hands (or a spatula), mix everything together until it’s combined (FYI: overworking it will cause the meatballs to be dense).

Using a spoon or a standard size cookie scoop, shape into meatballs and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked throughout.

Remove the meatballs from the oven, place them in a large mixing bowl. Add your favorite buffalo sauce (I mentioned on Facebook that I used regular buffalo sauce, you can definitely spice things up if you prefer more heat) and gently toss to combine.

You can serve them immediately with a drizzle of blue cheese or ranch dressing or toss them in a crockpot and keep them warm during the game… don’t forget the toothpicks (if you want to be extra creative, use a thin slice of celery as the stick). If you want to serve them as subs, sprinkle the tops with blue cheese or melted mozzarella. YUM!! These buffalo chicken meatballs are sure to be a hit with everyone!

If you love buffalo wings, you're going to love these easy and mess-free buffalo chicken meatballs. They're a whole lot healthier than the traditional appetizer!

Author: Natalie

Yield: about 2 dozen

Ingredients

1½ lb ground chicken

½ c. panko breadcrumbs

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 small carrot, finely grated

1 stick celery, minced

2 green onions, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp. paprika

½ tsp. kosher sea salt

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

⅓ c. Franks buffalo sauce (or your favorite buffalo sauce)

3 tbsp. blue cheese or ranch dressing (optional garnish)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a standard size baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, panko and egg. Allow the panko to soak in the egg for 5 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, green onion, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Using your hands (or a spatula), mix together just until combined (overworking it will cause the meatballs to be dense).

Using a spoon or a standard size cookie scoop, shape into meatballs and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked throughout (internal temperature of 160).

Remove from the oven, place the meatballs in a bowl, add the buffalo sauce and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately, drizzled with dressing and extra green onion, if desired.

Notes

-You can fold in or stuff these meatballs with ⅓ cup blue cheese or mozzarella!